Tie plate dispenser and method therefore

ABSTRACT

Present embodiments relate to a tie plate dispenser which selectively changes the orientation of the tie plates being ejected, if needed. An actuator is used to flip the tie plate as it falls from an ejection location of the dispenser.

CLAIM TO PRIORITY

This continuation patent application claims priority to and benefit of,under 35 U.S.C. § 120, to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/910,918,filed Jun. 24, 2020, and titled, “Tie Plate Dispenser And MethodTherefore”, all of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

Present examples relate to a tie plate dispenser and methods therefore.More specifically, present examples relate to embodiments for dispensingtie plates on or near rail road ties wherein the orientation of the tieplates may be adjusted.

2. Description of the Related Art

A railroad track assembly includes, in general, a plurality of railroadties, each having a pair of tie plates. A rail track is disposed acrosseach tie plate and run generally perpendicular to the railroad ties, toattach the tracks to the supporting tie. One skilled in the art willunderstand these railroad track assemblies.

During railroad maintenance, it is sometimes necessary that the tieplates are removed and replaced. The tie plates may be dispensed atvarious locations either on the railroad ties, between the railroadties, or at the ends of the railroad ties.

The railroad maintenance may also require that the tie plates beoriented in a manner desired for the subsequent railroad maintenancecrew. Thus once a tie plate is dispensed the subsequent crew may have toadjust the orientation, that is right side up if the tie plate is upsidedown when dispensed.

The information included in this Background section of thespecification, including any references cited herein and any descriptionor discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes onlyand is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of theinvention is to be bound.

SUMMARY

Present embodiments relate to a tie plate dispenser which orients thetie plates during the dispensing process. The orientation may bewidth/length direction, upside down/right side up, or both.

According to some embodiments, a tie plate dispenser comprises aconveyor configured to move a plurality of tie plates, a conveyor framewhich extends a preselected distance beyond an end of a conveyingsurface, the preselected distance defining an opening, at least onemagnet disposed above the opening. The at least one magnet retains atleast one of the plurality of tie plates over the opening. The at leastone tie plate may be selectively released from said at least one magnetthrough said opening. An arm which actuates from a first position to asecond position. In one of said first or second positions, the arm isretracted from a path in which said at least one tie plate falls, and inthe other of the first or second positions the arm is extended to engagethe at least one tie plate causing the at least one tie plate to flipwhen selectively released.

Some optional features may be utilized with the tie plate dispensereither alone or in combination with other embodiments. Such optionalembodiments may include, but are not limited to the following. In someoptional embodiments, the arm may be connected to a first actuator. Thearm may further comprise a finger. The arm may be a first actuator whichfurther comprises a finger. The first actuator may move horizontally.The horizontal move may be a forward-rearward direction, or saidhorizontal move is side-to-side. The arm may actuate by pivotal movementfrom said first position to said second position. The conveying surfacemay be defined by one of a roller conveyor, belt conveyor, gravity feedconveyor, a chute, a vibratory conveyor, or combinations of any of theforegoing. The at least one magnet may be a permanent magnet or anelectromagnet. Where the at least one magnet is a permanent magnet, thetie plate dispenser may further comprise a second actuator toselectively disengage the at least one tie plate from the at least onemagnet. The tie plate dispenser may further comprise a sensor to createa signal to release the at least one tie plate. The sensor may be above,below, or spaced from the opening. The sensor may detect a shoulder ofsaid at least one tie plate.

In some other embodiments, a method of operating a tie plate dispensermay comprise magnetically supporting a tie plate at an end of aconveyor, sensing with a sensor a feature of the tie plate, determiningan orientation of the tie plate, determining whether to extend anactuator based on said sensing, extending said actuator dependent uponsaid determining, selectively releasing the tie plate; and, changing theorientation of the tie plate upon said releasing.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. All of theabove outlined features are to be understood as exemplary only and manymore features and objectives of the various embodiments may be gleanedfrom the disclosure herein. Therefore, no limiting interpretation ofthis summary is to be understood without further reading of the entirespecification, claims and drawings, included herewith. A more extensivepresentation of features, details, utilities, and advantages of thepresent invention is provided in the following written description ofvarious embodiments of the invention, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and defined in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the embodiments may be better understood, embodiments of atie plate dispenser and method will now be described by way of examples.These embodiments are not to limit the scope of the claims as otherembodiments of a tie plate dispenser will become apparent to one havingordinary skill in the art upon reading the instant description.Non-limiting examples of the present embodiments are shown in figureswherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a tie plate distribution system; perspectiveview of a tie plate dispenser, including an example tie platedistributor or dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an alternative tie plate distribution system,including an example tie plate distributor or dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example tie plate dispenser;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a tie plate and sensorarrangement;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an example structure to changeorientation of a tie plate being disposed on a railroad system and in afirst sequence;

FIG. 6 is a second schematic sequence following the first sequence ofFIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 is a third schematic sequence following the second sequence ofFIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a second example structure forchanging orientation of a tie plate being disposed on a railroad system;

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the control system; and,

FIG. 10 is a flow chart depicting a method of operating the tie platedispenser in order to change the orientation of the tie plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that a tie plate dispenser and method thereforeis not limited in its application to the details of construction and thearrangement of components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The described embodiments are capable ofother embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out invarious ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should notbe regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or“having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the itemslisted thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and“mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompassdirect and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition,the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are notrestricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

Referring to FIGS. 1-10 , the present embodiments provide a tie platedispenser which dispenses or distributes tie plates along a railroadtrack assembly. The tie plates are advanced to an area of the dispenserwhere they are retained and selectively released at a desired time,location or both. The instant tie plate dispenser provides for structurewhich detects the orientation of a tie plate and based on thatdetermination can change the orientation of the tie plate during thedispensing process, per the desire of the railroad or the maintenancegroup working on the railroad.

With reference to FIG. 1 , a side view of a tie plate dispenser ordistributor 12 is depicted. A carrier vehicle 10 is shown located on arailroad track 14 of a railroad track system. The tie plate distributor(also referred to as a tie plate dispenser) 12, is in feed communicationwith the tow vehicle 10 for working during railroad maintenance. Beneaththe railroad track 14, a ballast 16 provides a substrate upon which aplurality of railroad ties 18 are disposed. The ballast 16 may be formedof rocks or other material which provides a stable base and allows forproper drainage. Further, the ballast 16 may have an upper elevationwhich raises the railroad to a height out of known flood plains. Therailroad ties 18 are generally positioned about twenty-two inches (22″)apart, as is known in the art however, alternative spacing may beutilized depending on the railroad operator and/or other factors. Therailroad ties 18 are generally rectangular having a square cross-sectionas shown in FIG. 1 . Disposed on an upper surface of each railroad tie18 are a plurality of tie plates 30 (FIG. 3 ). The tie plates 30 areanchored to the railroad tie 18 and provide a place for positioning ofthe railroad track 14. Although a single track 14 is shown in the sideview, as one skilled in the art will understand that in someembodiments, two tracks 14 are laid in parallel fashion and spaced apartat a preselected gauge distance providing the railroad track system.Also, in other embodiments, a single track may be utilized with a custommachine having supports of, for example, tracks or wheels on the sideopposite the rail.

There is also shown in one embodiment, the tie plate distributor 12, forsequentially unloading railroad tie plates 30 (FIG. 3 ) from a suitabletie plate carrier, such as the railroad track mounted truck 10, as shownin FIG. 1 , or a modified rail car 11 as shown in FIG. 2 . The tie platedistributor 12 may be used with or on, either of the powered vehicle 10or the rail car 11. As best shown in FIG. 3 , the tie plate distributor12 is adapted to deposit the tie plates 30 along a railroad tracks 14 ofthe railroad system. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to depositone of the plates 30 along a centerline of the railroad track system onthe railroad ties 18. In some other embodiments, it may be desirable toposition the tie plates 30 on the railroad ties 18 near ends of the ties18, or on the ballast 16 near ends of the railroad ties 18, ifnecessary. Conventionally, a straight portion of the railroad track 14will have cross-ties 18 laid on longitudinal centerlines which are abouttwenty-two inches (22″) apart, as measured along railroad track 14. Asthe tie plates 30 are deposited, one or more workmen who follow behindthe distributor 12 may replace old tie plates on each individual tie 18after the old railroad track 14 have been removed with the new tieplates 30, preparatory to placement of new rails or replacement of oldrailroad track 14 on the newly placed tie plates.

The tie plate dispenser 12 includes a first, tie plate loading endportion, which is mounted on the bed of the truck 23, for example, and asecond, tie plate unloading end portion which is supported on railroadwheels 29, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 . In the instantembodiment, the upper end of the dispenser 12 is an entrance for tieplates 30 and the lower end is a discharge end. The instant tie platedispenser 12 sequentially moves the plurality of tie plates 30 from thefirst end to the second end by gravity feed from a higher first entranceend to a lower second discharge end 35.

The tie plate loading end portion of the tie plate dispenser 12 caninclude a conventional motorized endless belt conveyor, generallydesignated 36, for transporting the plates 30 rearwardly (from right toleft, as viewed) from a front and mid-portion to a rear portion of thetruck bed 27. The conveyor 36 can be positioned along the truck bed 27so that a crane or other structure may be use to pick up tie plates 30and deposit the tie plates 30 on the conveyor 36 for further processing.In other embodiments one or, perhaps, two workers standing on oppositesides of the conveyor 36, can alternatively pick up the tie plates 30from storage along each side of the truck bed 27, place them on themoving belt conveyor 38 and, preferably, orient them for disposition onthe railroad ties 18. Further, it should be understood that a hopper,conveyor or other mechanical or electromechanical device may be used todeliver the tie plates to the conveyor 36 or to the tie platedistributor 12.

A drive motor (not shown) for the belt conveyor 38 can be of the usual12 VDC electric type so as to be energized by an engine drivenelectrical system of the truck 10. But, in order to avoid overtaxing abattery of the truck 10, it is also possible in some embodiments to usea separate gasoline powered motor/generator set to power a 120 VAC drivemotor of the belt conveyor 38. Where the rail car 28 of FIG. 2 is usedfor carrying the loading end portion of the dispenser 12, a suitablegasoline powered motor/generator set, can also be used as a satisfactoryenergy source for the drive motor of the conveyor 36. The belt conveyor38 delivers the tie plates 30 onto a first, upper input end 34 of adiagonally downwardly and rearwardly sloping gravity feed, rollerconveyor, generally designated conveyor 36.

With reference now to FIG. 3 , the conveyor 36 is removed from the truck23 (FIG. 1 ) and the rail car 28 (FIG. 2 ). The slope of the conveyor 36is suitable at about 10 to 40 degrees from horizontal, and in someembodiments, 20 to 30 degrees, however other ranges may be utilized. Theconveyor 36 includes a series of parallel and closely spaced apartcylindrically shaped rollers 31 (FIG. 3 ) of conventional type which arefreely rotatable about their longitudinal axes, as for example, onconventional bearings. The tops of the rollers 31 define a conveyingsurface, which support the tie plates 30. The conveyor 36 may include aconveyor frame 39 defined by one or more frame structural elements whichsupport the rollers 31. In the instant embodiment, the frame 39 isdefined by a first structural element 19 and a second structural element19 which are positioned opposite one another and extend in alongitudinal direction pertaining to a feed direction of the tie plates30. The rollers 31 are suitably journaled in opposing and parallelextending side beams or rails of the frame 39. While the instantembodiment shows generally flat plate structures, other structures maybe used, for non-limiting example channel, angle iron shapes, orbox/rectangular shapes may be used to define the frame 39 and supportthe rollers 31. Additionally, these or other structures may be joined,for example by welding, or by additional structures in order to define aone piece frame.

The tie plates 30 thus are conveyed by gravity along the rollers 31until intercepted by a dispensing device at the lower end of the tieplate dispenser 12. The tie plate dispenser 12 may be towed behind arail car, rail truck or other tow vehicle. The tie plate dispenser 12 istypically angled from top to bottom to aid in feeding the tie plates 30toward the lower discharge end 35 and the tie plate dispenser 12 issupported by railroad wheels 29.

In one alternative, an inclined chute with a metal base could beutilized as the conveyor 36 provided it is operatively inclined at asufficient angle to assure that the tie plates 30 placed on an upperinput end thereof will readily slide downwardly along the base andsubsequent release to the track bed. Clearly, the angle of incline insuch a chute would need to be greater than that of the conveyor 36. Inother embodiments the conveyor 36 may be embodied by a vibratory feederinstead of the rollers or the chute. As used herein, the term conveyormay include, but is not limited to, any of these examples of structureswhich move tie plates—roller conveyor, powered conveyor, belt conveyor,chute, vibratory feeder, combinations of any of these or other structurewhich generally move a part from a first position to a second position,or the like.

The tie plates 30 freely gravitates off of a lower output end of theconveyor 36 for disposition along the railroad tracks 14 in any of thepreviously discussed arrangements for disposal. Accordingly, once thedispenser 12 is indexed so as to drop one of the plates 30, either onone of the ties 18, or mid-way between two adjacent ties, or at or nearends of the railroad ties 18. One skilled in the art will realize thatthe dropping of tie plates 30 may be indexed relative to the distancetraveled by the tie plate dispenser or distributor 12.

The tie plate dispenser 12 further comprises a guide 40. The guide 40 isa longitudinally extending structure or combination of structures thatextends in the direction of the tie plate movement along the conveyor36. The guide 40 is depicted as flat stock in some embodiments, but maybe other structural shapes as well. For example, the guide 40 may alsobe embodied by the flat stock or may further comprise a beam to whichthe flat stock is connected, wherein the beam may be connected to thesupport 26 or may be connected to adjustable actuators as describedfurther herein.

At a first end 42 of the guide 40, the guide is tapered from a narrowwidth. The first end 42 provides a narrow width in order to increase thelikelihood of positioning the first guide end 42 between the shoulders32 of the tie plate 30. As shown, the tie plate 30 located at the narrowend is out of alignment relative to the direction of movement. However,the guide 40 will correct the skewed tie plate 30 as it moves along thetie plate conveyor 36.

Referring still to FIG. 3 , the tie plates may be enter the dispenser 12askew. When this occurs, the narrow first guide end 42 still engages thetie plate 30 (nearest first end 42) between the shoulders 32. Briefly,the tie plates 30 may be of varying sizes and varying shapes. Many tieplates 30 are rectangular in shape as illustrated and may comprise twoshoulders 32 are extending from the upper surface of the tie plate.According to some examples, the shoulders 32 provide a locating andalignment feature for positioning of a railroad track in order toconnect the track or rail to the railroad tie. Some tie plates may havea single shoulder 32 while some may have two as depicted. The number isnot to be considered limiting, however, the guide 40 may use at leastone, or two, shoulder in order to align the tie plates 30, rather thanthe outer edges of the tie plates. By relying on the outer edges, thepositioning and alignment is then partially dependent on outerdimensions, and therefore alignment may vary where batches of multiplesized tie plates are utilized. Thus where two shoulders are used, thealignment may be independent of tie plate dimension and use of multiplesizes of tie plates may not affect the operation.

As the guide 40 widens from the first end 42 to its full width, the tieplate 30 will rotate to it proper alignment and position on the conveyor36. The rotation is due to engagement between the shoulders 32 and guide40. Further, the guide 40 retains the tie plate 30 in desired positionlaterally along the conveyor 36, while the tie plate 30 continues movinglongitudinally along the conveyor 36. It should be understood that sometolerance is necessary to allow for movement of the tie plates 30,rather than stoppage, during use of the dispenser 12.

The guide 40 may be supported in a number of ways. According to someembodiments, the guide 40 is supported from above by the supports 26. Insuch a way, the guide 40 is disposed at a height or gap 41 above theconveying surface 22. This defines a gap defined between the rollers 31and the guide 40, wherein the tie plate 30 may be disposed and movethrough toward the second end of the dispenser 12. The gap 41 is sizedso that the guide 40 is positioned between the shoulders 32 of a tieplate 30 and at a height so not to stop movement of the tie platetherebetween. As one skilled in the art will understand, the tie plates30 may be formed in differing sizes and accordingly, may have heights orthicknesses which differ. For example, some tie plates may have athickness of up to ¾ of an inch while other size tie plates may have athickness of about ⅞ of an inch. These dimensions are merely examplesand others may be utilized, and therefore should not be consideredlimiting.

The guide 40 may also be adjustably supported so that the height of theguide 40 may be changed relative to the conveying surface 22 below.Therefore, the adjustability of the guide in a height or verticaldimension may allow for appropriate clearance of tie plates of differingsizes which improves usage of the dispenser. For example, a guideactuator 126 may be mounted to each of the supports 26 in order to movethe guide 40 vertically and vary the height relative to the conveyingsurface 22. The one or more actuators 126 may be supported at variouslocations along the conveyor path for raising and lowering the guide 40.The guide actuator 126 may be fixed to a frame member, structure, orother support 26 of the dispenser 12 and may have a piston or othermovable structure which connects to the guide 40. In this way, themovement of the piston in a vertical direction will move the guide 40vertically. The guide actuator 126 may be electrical, hydraulic,pneumatic, combinations, or other movable structures. Likewise, theguide actuator 126 may have a motor for example which rotates to causelinear motion of an actuation element alternative to typical to apiston.

At the lower output end of the conveyor 36, the guide 40, for example,extends over the opening 24. According to some embodiments, a mechanismis provided to retain the last sequential tie plate 30 over the opening24. In some embodiments the retaining mechanism 60 may be a magnet,permanent or electromagnet, in order to retain the tie plate 30. In theembodiment comprising a permanent magnet, the at least one magnetretains the tie plate 30 and the movement of the subsequent tie platesalong the dispenser forces the tie plate to a position fully over theopening and retained by the magnet. Alternately, if an electromagnet isused, the magnet may be turned off then on when the tie plate is in thedesired position over the opening.

Some embodiments provide at least one permanent magnet 60. In theinstant embodiment, the at least one permanent magnet 60 is defined bythree circular magnets, for non-limiting example. Other shapes and sizesmay be used, depending at least in part on the size of the opening. Themagnets 60 are shown sized to fit between longitudinal edges of theguide 40.

In the depicted embodiment having a permanent magnet 60, an actuatorassembly 70 is used to disengage the tie plate from the at least onemagnet 60 and thereby discharge the tie plate on to the railroad trackassembly. The instant embodiment utilizes an actuator assembly 70 tomove downward and displace the tie plate 30 from the at least one magnet60, thus causing the tie plate to fall. As shown in FIG. 6 , theactuator assembly 70 may utilize a hammer 72 which passes through, oraround, the guide 40 to push the tie plate 30 downward from the guide 40through opening 24. The hammer 72 may take various forms and accordingto the instant embodiment, the hammer may comprise vertical structurespassing through or around the guide to push the tie plate 30 over theopening 24 away from the at least one magnet 60.

In some other embodiments, the magnet may be movable through astructure, for example the guide 40. In such embodiment, when the magnet60 is retracted, the tie plate 30 cannot move upward beyond the guide orother structure, and the tie plate 30 is separated from the magnet 60.In a similar alternate embodiment, the hammer 72 may move throughstructure, for example while the magnet 60 is below the guide 40 andretaining the tie plate 30 in position for discharge. By actuation, thehammer 72 may move through the guide 40 and force the tie plate 30 toseparate from the magnet 60, and thus to be discharged. In still otherembodiments, for example where the magnet is an electromagnet, themagnet may simply be powered off to drop the tie plate 30. An actuatormay be optionally used in such embodiment.

In some embodiments, the conveyor 36 may pivot from near an upper end,so that the lower end may be located at any of various locationsrelative to the railroad tie 18, tie plates thereon, or the groundbelow. For example, a hitch ball and/or fifth wheel arrangement may beused. In alternative embodiments, the conveyor 36 may be constructed toslide rather than pivot, so that the tie plates 30 may be dispensed atvarious locations relative to the ties, tie plates, or the ground.

With reference to FIG. 4 , a further embodiment of the tie platedispenser 12 is provided, wherein the orientation of the tie plates 30may be adjusted for dispensing on the railroad system. As mentioned,some companies may desire tie plates 30 be positioned for further workin a right side up orientation, or in an upside down orientation, forexample if further handling and flipping is to occur by an additionalpiece of handling equipment. Therefore, at or near the actuator assembly70, a tie plate flipping assembly 110 may be provided.

In order to position the tie plates 30 in the desired orientation on therailroad system, the current position of the tie plates 30 should firstbe determined. In order to do this, a sensor 112 may be utilized. Thesensor 112 may be various types of sensors including, but not limitedto, proximity sensor such as an ultrasonic, inductive, capacitive orothers. The sensor 112 may further comprise a limit switch, a laser, oran optical sensor. The sensor 112 may be one or more sensors and maybelooking for a signal based on a position of a shoulder.

As shown in the schematic view, the sensor 112 may be positioned abovethe tie plates 30 or may be placed below the tie plates 30. The sensor112 is a looking for a surface, for example a lower flat surface of thetie plate 30. Alternatively, the sensor 112 may be looking for theshoulders 32 of the tie plates 30. In some embodiments, where two ormore sensors 112 are used, the sensors 112 may be looking for both theshoulder(s) 32 and a flat surface to make a determination andconfirmation of the current orientation of the tie plate 30.

As shown in the view of FIG. 4 , the sensor 112 may be disposed abovethe tie plate 30, below the tie plate 30, or in some embodiments, below.The sensor 112 may be aligned with the opening 24 (FIG. 3 ) or may beoffset from the opening 24 in order to ensure that the sensor 112 is notimpacted when the tie plate 30 is discharged through the opening.Additionally, the sensor 112 may be disposed on the arm 122 or finger124 (both FIG. 5 ).

Referring now to FIG. 5 , a further embodiment is provided wherein thetie plate 30 may be flipped to alter the orientation if determinednecessary. With the sensor 112 determining the instant orientation ofthe tie plate 30, the tie plate 30 may need to be flipped depending onhow the tie plate 30 is needed on the railroad systems. In the side viewof FIG. 5 , an embodiment is shown wherein an actuator 120 is providednear the opening 24, in this instance below. The actuator 120 has an arm122 which extends and retracts. In some embodiments, the arm 122 may bea part of the actuator 120, such as a piston, or the arm 122 may beconnected to the actuator 120. In the instant embodiment, the arm 122further comprises a finger 124 which engages the tie plate 30.

As shown in the extended position, the arm 122 extends into an areabeneath the opening 24 and through which the tie plate 30 will fall whenthe hammer 72 detaches the tie plate 30 from the at least one magnet 60.During the fall, the tie plate 30 will engage the arm 122 or finger 124,causing the tie plate 30 to flip from its orientation above the opening24 to the orientation desired when on the railroad system.

The actuator 120 and the arm 122 should be positioned at a height suchthat the falling tie plate 30 has ample room to flip if needed. In otherwords, the tie plate 30 cannot be discharged at such a low height thatthe tie plate 30 cannot flip over. This may be achieved by adjustment ofthe discharge height of the lower end of conveyor 36 and/or adjustmentof the position where the actuator 120 engages the tie plate 30 beingdischarged from the conveyor 36.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , the tie plate 30 at the opening 24 is releasedby actuation of the hammer 72. As a result, the magnets 60 cannot retainthe tie plate shown falling. Based on a previous sensor 112determination, the actuator 120 is extended because a tie plate is in aposition requiring orientation change. As the tie plate 30 falls, thetie plate engages the finger 124.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the tie plate 30 is shown on the railroad systemand is in an orientation opposite that which was on the tie platedispenser 12 (FIG. 3 ). The process can start again with the nextsubsequent tie plate 30: determine tie plate orientation, determine ifthe tie plate needs to be flipped, if yes then extend the actuator 120,and release the tie plate.

The actuator 120 may be placed in various positions to that it extendshorizontally, for example forward to rearward direction, or vice-versa,side to side, or at an angle to enter the pathway of discharge for thetie plate 30. The actuator 120 may also be a pivoting actuator whichrotates into a pathway of the tie plate discharge and rotates out ofthis position as well. The actuator 120 may also extend at an angle.Various positions may be used such that the arm 122 extends into thisposition.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , a further embodiment is provided. In thisembodiment, the actuator 120 is removed and the tie plate orientation ischanged in an alternate manner. In this embodiment, a force is appliedat one side or edge of the tie plate 30. The force may be by way of asecondary hammer, actuator, or other device which breaks the magneticattraction of the magnets 60 and the tie plate 30 over the opening 24.With the force applied to only one side or edge, the tie plate 30 beginsto pivot or rotate as it falls, because the opposite side or edge isstill magnetically connected to the magnets 60.

With reference to FIG. 9 , a schematic view of a control system 300. Thesystem comprises a programmable logic controller (PLC) 310. Varioustypes of controllers could be utilized including microprocessors orother electronic devices which may be programmed. The sensor 112 isshown connected to the controller 310 and an arrow head depicts thesignal input to the controller 310. The controller 310 can determinebased on that signal, the orientation of the tie plate 30 over theopening 24.

The controller 310 may also receive a signal 312 to eject a plate. Thismay come from a sensor which detects a tie plate 30 over the opening 24,or it may be a manual signal from a worker. Either way, the automated ormanual signal may both indicate to the controller 310 that a tie plate30 is in position for ejection.

Once the controller 310 has either of the two signals described, thecontroller 310 may output two signals. One signal 314 may be to theactuator assembly 70 in order to eject a tie plate 30 from the opening24. A second signal 316 may be to the tie plate flip actuator 120. Aspreviously described, where the tie plate 30 being ejected needs to beflipped for desired orientation, the actuator 120 is extended to causethe tie plate to change orientation. Alternatively, as described, thisactuator 120 may also be of the type embodied in FIG. 8 , which pushesthe tie plate 30 along one edge or side.

In reference to FIG. 10 , a flowchart is shown providing a method orsteps 200 for operating the tie plate dispenser 12. In a first step 210,a tie plate 30 to be discharged is positioned at a discharge location.In some embodiments, this location could be at an end of the conveyor orover an opening 24. This location should not be considered limiting.

In a second step 212, a sensor 112 senses a feature of the tie plate.For example, the sensor 112 may sense a shoulder, or a flat location, orboth. As a result of this sensing, in the next step 214 the orientationof the tie plate is determined. That is, for example, is the tie plate30 right side up or upside down.

In step 216, a determination is made on whether or not to change theorientation of the tie plate. This is done by determining whether toextend the actuator 120 based on the determination of step 214. If thedetermination in step 216 is to change the orientation, then in step218, the actuator is extended into the pathway of the tie plate movingtoward the railroad system.

In step 220, the tie plate is selectively released. This may be byactuating the hammer 72 or may be by turning off an electromagnet. Ifother retaining structures are used, those may be released mechanically,electrically, fluidically, or otherwise.

At step 222, the tie plate orientation is changed upon release of step220, by engagement with the actuator.

While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustratedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision avariety of other means and/or structures for performing the functionand/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantagesdescribed herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications isdeemed to be within the scope of the invent of embodiments describedherein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations describedherein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters,dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon thespecific application or applications for which the inventive teachingsis/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able toascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalentsto the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is,therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presentedby way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claimsand equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practicedotherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventiveembodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individualfeature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent,is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms. The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase“and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, shouldbe understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined,i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases anddisjunctively present in other cases.

Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the samefashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Otherelements may optionally be present other than the elements specificallyidentified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to thoseelements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, areference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-endedlanguage such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only(optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, toB only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet anotherembodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should beunderstood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. Forexample, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall beinterpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, butalso including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and,optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated tothe contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when usedin the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactlyone element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or”as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusivealternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded byterms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or“exactly one of” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims,shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “atleast one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should beunderstood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more ofthe elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including atleast one of each and every element specifically listed within the listof elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the listof elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified within the listof elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether relatedor unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as anon-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “atleast one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) canrefer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including morethan one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements otherthan B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally includingmore than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionallyincluding more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including morethan one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one stepor act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarilylimited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method arerecited.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitionalphrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are tobe understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limitedto. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases,respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual ofPatent Examining Procedures.

The foregoing description of methods and embodiments has been presentedfor purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, andobviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention and allequivalents be defined by the claims appended hereto.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tie plate dispenser, comprising: aconveyor configured to move a plurality of tie plates and dispenseindividually each tie plate of said plurality of tie plates; saidconveyor having a frame and a conveying surface which extends apreselected distance, said frame extending beyond an end of saidconveying surface and forming an opening; a magnet located above one ofsaid conveying surface or said opening, said magnet located toindividually retain each said tie plate of said plurality of tie plates;said magnet configured to selectively release each said tie plate ofsaid plurality of tie plates from said conveyor along a falling path; anarm which is selectively actuatable along said falling path that eachsaid tie plate moves when released by said magnet, said arm movablebetween a first position and a second position, wherein in one of saidfirst position or said second position said arm engages each said tieplate; the arm causing said tie plate to change orientation uponengaging each said tie plate.
 2. The tie plate dispenser of claim 1,said conveying surface being a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, agravity feed conveyor, a chute, a vibratory conveyor, or any combinationof any of the foregoing.
 3. The tie plate dispenser of claim 1 whereinsaid magnet is one of a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.
 4. The tieplate dispenser of claim 3, said selectively release is performed bysaid electromagnet.
 5. The tie plate dispenser of claim 3, saidselectively release is performed by a second actuator that forces saidtie plate from said permanent magnet.
 6. The tie plate dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein said arm actuates pivotally or linearly.
 7. The tieplate dispenser of claim 1, wherein said arm is an actuator.
 8. The tieplate dispenser of claim 7, said arm further comprising a finger.
 9. Thetie plate dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a sensor to determinean orientation of said tie plate.
 10. A tie plate dispenser, comprising:a conveyor having a frame defined by one or more structural elements,and a conveying surface; said conveying surface capable of moving aplurality of tie plates from a first position to a second position alongsaid conveyor; at least one magnet disposed near an end of saidconveying surface and capable of magnetically engaging each tie plate ofsaid plurality of tie plates when said tie plates reach said end of saidconveying surface; wherein said plurality of tie plates are individuallyselectively released to fall from engagement with said at least onemagnet near said end of said conveying surface; an arm which isactuatable between a first position and a second position, wherein oneof said first position or said second position is along a path that saidtie plates fall when selectively released from said at least one magnet;wherein said one of said first position or said second position causessaid arm to engage each said tie plate along said path that each saidtie plate falls.
 11. The tie plate dispenser of claim 10 wherein saidconveying surface is defined by a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, agravity feed conveyor, a chute, a vibratory conveyor, or a combinationthereof.
 12. The tie plate dispenser of claim 10, wherein said at leastone magnet is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.
 13. The tie platedispenser of claim 12 wherein said at least one magnet is said permanentmagnet.
 14. The tie plate dispenser of claim 13, further comprising asecond actuator to disengage each said tie plate from said permanentmagnet.
 15. The tie plate dispenser of claim 11 further comprising asensor which detects a feature of said tie plate to determine if saidarm is to be actuated.
 16. A method of operating a tie plate dispenser,comprising: sensing with a sensor, a feature of a tie plate magneticallyengaging said tie plate from a conveying surface; determining a firstorientation or a second orientation of said tie plate from said sensing;extending an actuator if said determining indicates said tie plate is inone of said first orientation or said second orientation; selectivelyreleasing the tie plate; changing the orientation of said tie plate ifsaid tie plate is in said one of said first orientation or said secondorientation as the tie plate falls from said selectively releasing.